The Cloudcast - Eps.46 - The Big and Small World of Cloud Computing

Date: July 5, 2012
Guest: Ben Kepes (@benkepes) - Entrepreneur, Investor, Analyst @ Diversity

Description: Aaron and Brian talk with Ben Kepes (@benkepes) about the evolving Cloud Computing trends in the first half of 2012, building Cloud communities and how SMBs should be thinking about leveraging technology to gain business advantage.


Topic 1 - [Analyst] 1st half of 2012 in review - major trends, changing strategies, etc.

• Large Companies -> Fast Followers -> Leveraging their Scale
• The evolution of HW + SW solutions
• VMware acknowledging that Cloud Computing will be heterogeneous

Topic 2 - With more and more Cloud companies not being based in Silicon Valley, or operating in Silicon Valley, is that region still the center of the Cloud Computing world? How does someone that doesn't live there stay so well connected to those communities?


Topic 3 - Once a company reaches 10 years, does that make it "old", or ripe to go through significant transition? Is 10 yrs the new 20 yrs?


Topic 4 - [Communities] How are we educating people on Cloud Computing, and how do communities like Defrag (developers) differ from Cloud U (business owners, infrastructure IT groups) 


Topic 5 - [Investor / Advisor] What problems are companies (that you advise) struggling with where Cloud could solve problems? How is Cloud changing your perspective as an investor, whether it's in technology companies or non-tech companies?

Topic 6 - [Global Markets] What trends are you seeing outside the US, especially in ANZ or Asia?


Topic 7 - [SMBs] This is the market segment that seems to have the most options (lots of SaaS services), but get the least amount of direction.